Spray stopper



June 14, 1932. GREENE 1,863,158

SPRAY STOPPER Filed May 28, 1931 I L L [N V5 N T 0/? was H. Gmsz/vz jATT (NE/V Patented June 14, 1932 PATENT OFFICE IRVING H. GREENE, OF NEWYORK, N. Y.

SPRAY STOPPER Application filed May 28,

My invention relates to stoppers and more particularly to the type knowngenerally as a spray stopper. Such a spray stopper is adapted to beinserted into the neck of a hot- 5 tle, bulb, or the like, which hasbeen charged with a liquid or powder to be sprayed from the containerthrough such stopper. The liquid or powder to be sprayed may be aninsecticide, a preservative solution or plain wal ter. Thus it is thepractice, for instance, in a household, to spray an insecticide eitherin the form of powder or a lqiuid upon plants, shrubbery or flowers. Theinsecticide may also be used for the purpose of spraying clothing such,for instance, as a liquid or powder for preventing the ravages of mothsupon stored clothing. As is well known. it is also the practice ofhousewives to sprinkle water on cloth, dress goods, etc. to dampen thesame before ironing. A still further use of my novel stopper is inconnection with the spraying of spools of wool. yarn, etc.. in mills,just prior to shipment, with so-called conditioning solutions. Suchsolutions contain a preservative chemical and just prior to parking theyarn or wool, the material is sprayed with the liquid. Various otheruses for the spray stopper in connection with containers such as a bulbor an ordinary bottle, for instance, the spraying of a wooden floorprior to sweeping the same, will occur to the average individual and itis believed unnecessary to enter into a more detailed discussion of suchuses herein. The object of my invention is to provide a stopper having acentral channel. of an elastic material such as rubber which may fit theneck of any ordinary sized bulb or the neck of a bottle such. forinstance, as may be found about the household. In accordance with myinvention, such rubber stopper is provided with a disc, of metal,celluloid, or phenolic condensation product. having perforationstherein, the disc being inserted into a groove provided along the innerperiphery of the stopper channel and having its opening facing suchchannel. A more particular object of my invention is to provide a spraystopper which is easily applied to and removed from the neck of acontainer, is simple to assemble and to disassemble, will adapt itselfto the 1931. Serial No. 540,645.

size of the opening into which it is inserted and is capable of beingmanufactured at a low cost. While I do not at the present timecontemplate stressing the feature of my novel spray stopper in beingadapted for use with spray discs having various sizes of perforationstherein, it is obvious that such feature may be an important element inthe advantages of the structure. I am aware of prior art constructionsin which a metal cap having perforations therein is provided at the topof a cork stopper having an aperture therein but my novel spray stopperwill be recognized as an improvement on such prior art structures. It isto be noted in connection with such prior art metal cap, and stopper,that it is a combination of two distinct elements, i. e. a cap and astopper, and that when it is used in conjunction with a container and apowder such, for instance, as an insecticide, moisture condensing uponthe metal cap by reason of the difference in temperature of such metaland the surrounding atmosphere, will clog the holes of the metal capnecessitating the removal of the entire cap and stopper from thecontainer for purposes of cleaning the same. It is under suchcircumstances that a disc easily removable from the stopper and aseasily replaced therein, will be found to have particular advantage overthe prior art structures.

A specific embodiment of my invention is illustrated in the accompanyingdrawing in which,

Fig. 1 is a vertical section of a spray stopper constructed inaccordance with my invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical elevation partly in section of the rubber stopperwithout the metal disc; 90

Fig. 3 is a plan View of my improved stopper with the metal discinserted therein;

Fig. 4 shows my improved spray stopper applied to a spray bulb of anysuitable configuration; and

Fig. 5 shows the spray stopper inserted into the neck of a containersuch as a bottle.

In Figs. 4 and 5 the containers to which the stopper is applied areshown in dotted outline.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, in which similar referencecharacters identify similar parts in the several views, designates thetapered portion of a rubber stopper of substantially annularconfiguration which is to be inserted into theneck of a container and 11is the upper portion of the stopper which remains outside of thecontainer, the stopper being seated at 12 against the end surface of thecontainer to which the stopper is to be applied. The portion 11 of thestopper is provided on its inner periphery at a point below the upperend thereof w1th a circumferential groove 13 into which may be snapped adisc 14 having a plurality of perforations 15 therein. The disc 14 maybe insorted into the groove by inserting a portion of its peripherywithin the channel running centrally throughout the length of thestopper so as to engage a portion of the peripheral groove 13, the discbeing then pressed downwardly into the top portion 11 of the stopper,the portion of the stopper opposite that at which the edge of the discengages the groove 13 being depressed or urged from the center line ofthe stopper so that the disc 14 may enter the groove 13.

The disc 14 is provided with a plurality of perforations 15 which may bemade of any desired size. I have found that apertures of very smalldiameter are suitable for use with a stopper which is to be applied to acontainer charged with liquid or powder.

In Fig. 4 I have shown my novel spray stopper applied to the neck of arubber bulb shown in dotted outline. The elasticity of the body portion10 of the stopper makes possible the use of my spray stopper with bulbsof different sizes and therefore of different diameters of neckopenings. The body por-' tion 10 of the stopper is inserted into theneck and the spray stopper is then pushed downwardly and into the neckof the bulb to such an extent that the upper portion 11 of the stopperwill be seated against the top surface of the bulb. When the rubber bulb16 is now squeezed, the liquid or powder contained therein will beforced upwardly through the channel 17 of the stopper and then outwardlythrough the apertures 15 of the disc 14 against the material to besprayed.

In Fig. 5 I have shown my spray stopper inserted into the neck 18, shownin dotted outline, of a bottle, such for instance as an ordinary sodabottle which may then be used as a container for the liquid to besprayed. By reason of the elastic nature of the body 10, my novel spraystopper can be used with a varying number of sizes of bottles, thestopper being securely seated within the neck of the bottle as shown inFig. 5.

If it is desired to substitute for the disc 14, another disc havingperforations of different size in the surface thereof, it is onlynecessary to remove the disc without removing the stopper from thecontainer and insert into the groove 13 another disc havin apertures ofthe desired size. In the case 0 powderbeing sprayed from the container,if the apertures of the disc 14 become clogged by reason of thedeposition on the surface of the metal disc of moisture from thesurrounding atmosphere the disc 14 may be easily removed from the headof the stopper, cleaned and reinserted Within the groove 13.

The spray stopper of the present invention being made of rubber has theadditional advantage over stoppers of the prior art that it will notbecome dented or otherwise distorted when dropped. Furthermore since myspray stopper may be molded and comprises a single piece of elasticmaterial, its cost of manufacture is much lower than that of similardevices of the prior art in which the stoppers were formed of twopieces, one being a cork stopper and the other being a metal top havinga metal lug adapted to be inserted into a channel within the cork.

It will be also noted that my improved spray stopper is held within theneck of the container to which it is applied by very strong frictionalcontact and is not apt to be dislodged therefrom, for instance, when abottle to which it is applied is vigorously shaken for the purpose ofdischarging its contents through the spray stopper. The stopper willalso adapt itself, by reason of its elasticity, to the particularconfiguration of the opening into which it is inserted and will thus beleak-proof along the seat 12, at the same time being securely positionedwithin the neck of the container.

I claim:

1. A spray stopper comprising a body portion of a resilient material anda head portion having a channel running centrally throughout the lengthof the stopper, the head portion being provided with an inner peripheralgroove, and a disc having a pluralisty of perforations therein removablyseated within said groove, said head portion having a degree ofelasticity such that said disc may be inserted in the groove withoutdeforming the disc.

2. A spray stopper comprising a tapering body portion of a resilientmaterial and a head portion of greater diameter than said body portion,said body and head portions havmg a central longitudinal channel, the

head portion being provided with an inner peripheral groove near itsupper extremity, and a disc having a plurality of perforations thereinremovably seated within said groove, said head portion having a degreeof elasticity such that said disc may be inserted in the groove withoutdeforming the disc.

3. A spray device comprising a tapering stopper portion of a resilientmaterial and a head portion of greater diameter than said stopperportion, said stopper and head por- ;ions having a central longitudinalchannel, ;he head portion being provided with an inner peripheral groovenear its upper extremity, and a metal disc having a plurality. ofperforations therein removably seated within said groove, said headportion having a degree of :lasticity such that said disc may beinserted n the groove without deforming the disc.

4. A spray stopper comprising a tapering ;topper portion of rubberadapted to be in- ;erted into the neck of a container and havng acentral channel running longitudinally :herethrough, a head portionintegral with ;aid body portion and being of greater di- Lmeter thansaid body ortion, said head por- ;ion having a central 0 annel incommunica- ;ion with the channel of said body portion, 1. peripheralgroove on the inner surface of ;aid head portion and a disc having aplurality of perforations removably seated withn said groove.

5. An article of manufacture for use as a :pray device in combinationwith a container, :omprising a rubber stopper having a longitudinalchannel running centrally throughut the length thereof, said stopperhaving in inner peripheral groove, and a disc having I plurality ofperforations therein removably ;eated within said groove.

Signed at New York city in the county of Bronx and State of New Yorkthis 25th day )f May A. D. 1931.

IRVING H. GREENE.

